Pressure-regulator.



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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR W. CASH, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

PRESSURE-REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,002, dated November19, 1901.

Application filed March 14, 1901. Serial No; 51,043. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ARTHUR W. CASH, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New J orsey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressure Reducingand Regulating Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of valvescommonly known as pressure reducing or regulating valves.

It has for its objects the reduction of the cost and the simplificationof construction to secure a valve which will be efiective and positivein its operations and one that is adapted for a wide range of serviceunder greatly varying conditions, and to obtain other advantages andresults, some of which will be referred to hereinafter in connectionwith the description of the working parts.

, The invention consists in the improved pressure reducing or regulatingvalve and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, allsubstantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced inthe clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the views, Figure 1 isa central vertical section of a regulating or reducing valve of myimproved construction and Fig. 2 is a section taken at line 00, acertain center yoke being removed to show the arrangement ofyoke-operating levers more clearly. Fig. 3 is a plan of a yoke,indicating the location of the hearings on the under side for certainstuds for limiting the downward movement of said yoke toward certainlevers arranged beneath; and Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of one ofsaid studs.

In said drawings, 1 indicates a main valve body or casing having twoseparate compartments A and B, divided by a web or partition 2, shapedto lie concentric with or parallel to the outer walls of the casingorotherwise formed to permit the formation of two circular valve-ports 33 and seats disposed opposite one another and communicating one with theother. Said body 1 is provided with threaded ends 4 5 to receive inletand exit pipes for the steam or compressed fluid, and at one side isopen and threaded, as at 6, to receive a right and left threadedspanner-nut 7, by which said body 1 is connected to a bowlshapeddiaphragm-chamber casin g 8, which is correspondingly threaded and isopen to permit the passage therethrough of a valve-stem 9, which workslongitudinally on suitable bearings 10 10, formed on said body anddiaphragm-casing.

Across the open top of the diaphragm-casing 8 is secured a flexiblediaphragm 11, which is held in position at or near its edges by thediaphragm-hood 12, which is flanged, as at 18, to engage a correspondingflange 14 on the casing and has a small annular head 15 near its outeredge adapted to rest on the diaphragm at or near its edge and make afluid-tight joint when the hood is bolted or screwed down upon the saidcasing 8 by means of the bolts or screws 16.

The diaphragm 11 may be of any suitable material. It may be of one thinplate or a plurality of plates, as the pressure may require or renderdesirable.

The hood is centrally open and provided with a female thread 17, and inthe opening is screwed a thimble-shaped dome 18, at the top of which issecured a pivotal springrip 19, adapted to engage the upper end of thespiral spring 20 and hold the spring up in place, the said grip beingformed in any suitable manner to hold the spring and resist both tensionand compression for purposes hereinafter described. The pivotal grip 19is preferably screwed upon the inner end of a shouldered screw 21,arranged in a hole in the thimble or dome and adapted to turn therein orpermit the thimble or dome to be screwed down with but disarranging thespring 20. The lower end of the spring 20 is also provided with a grip22 similar to the grip first described, which is at the center providedwith a female thread to permit of being screwed down tightly upon theupper end of a screw-stud 23. Said stud 23 passes through a clamp-nut 24and diaphragm 11 from a yoke 25 beneath the said diaphragm in thechamber of the casing 8. The said nut on the under side is provided withan annular rib 26, which extends around the central perforation of thediaphragm, clamping said diaphragm between the nut and yoke, so that thediaphragm is rendered impervious to the compressed fiuid. Said yoke 25at its opposite extremities extends downwardly or forms tongues 27,which enter between the prongs of bifurcated levers 28 and are pivotallyheld therebetween by pins 29, which are in turn held in place bycotter-pins 30. From said downwardly-cxtending tongues the saidbifurcated levers extend oppositely inward toward one another andconnect with the valvestem 9 at its upper bifurcated extremity, the

- inner extremities of the lovers 28 overlapping,

as shown in Fig. 2, and being perforated to receive a pin 31, by whichsaid levers and stem are pivoted together. The levers 28 are fulcrumedon pins 32, slidably arranged in fulcrumal studs 33, formed or castintegral with the casing S, the ends of the said pins 32 beingflattened, as in Fig. 1, and thus adapted to move in horizontal grooves331, formed in said studs, to prevent the parts from jamming. Said studs33 may be extended above the level of the tops of the levers and serveas stops or stems 34:, adapted to limit the downward movement of theyoke and its connections. The pin 31 forconnecting the levers andvalvestem is preferably held in operative position by means ofdownwardly-extending lugs 35, which extend to and lie at or near theopposite ends of the pin and prevent material longitudinal movement ofthe same.

The yoke 25 is centrally fastened to the lower or innerside of thediaphragm 11 and extends oppositely a little beyond the studs 34, wherethey turn down to form thearms 27 and engage the outer ends of thelevers above referred to. The intermediate fulcrums 32 are nearer to thearms 27 than to the valve-stem 9, and thus the length of movement isincreased and the movement accelerated. Thus the limited movement of thesingle-sheet diaphragm effeets a greater movement of the valve, ample topermit a free flow therethrough when opened. The movement of thediaphragm controls both the opening and closing movements of the valve.

The lower end of the valve-stem 9 passes loosely through a circulardouble-seated valve 36 and secured thereto by means of a nut 37, whichmay be locked by means of a cotterpin at the lower extremity of saidstem. Said valve may be provided with radial wings 38 38, adapted toengage the walls of the valveports 3 and hold the said valves centrallyin proper operative position.

From the outlet-chamber B a small groove boring or channel 39 extendsthrough the upper neck portion 6 of the body and communicates with ahole, channel, or port 40 through the lower threaded part 41 of thediaphragmsition to be utilized as a motive force or as a heating mediumor otherwise through the end at and exit-pipe attached thereto. It alsoflows through the passage or channel 39 4:0 in the neck 6 41 of thedevice into the chamber in the casing 8 below the diaphragm 1, bearingon said diaphragm to flex the same and force upward the nut 24: againstthe power of the spring 20 and the yoke 25, bolted to said nut. Theupward movement of the yoke tends in turn to lift the outer arms or endsof the levers 28 and lower the inner ends and with them the stem 9,forcing down said stem, and should the pressure be sufficient closingthe valve against the valve-seats,so that a further flow of steam intothe chamber B is prevented until the pressure in the chamber B isreduced. As above intimated, the power of the steam is counteracted andresisted by the power stored in the spring 20, which power may beincreased or diminished by increasing or diminishing the tension orcompression of the spring. The thimble may be turned in its threadedopening to increase or diminish said tension by means of a wrenchapplied to the shoulder 45, which may be square, hexagonal, or othershape in plan to permit the said wrench to turn the same. The pivotalpin 21 permits oftheadjustment ofthethimble without interference withthe arrangement of the spring. The amount of adjustment of the thimbleand spring is in accordance with the desired or predetermined pressureagainst the under side of the diaphragm. For example, should I desire toreduce the pressure in the chamber B and connections to five pounds persquare inch I would by means of the adjustable thimble or dome adjustthe com pression-spring 20 so that its stored energy would be equal to aforce of five poundsper square inch on the eifective area of the underside of the diaphragm. Should the pressure in the lowerdiaphragm-ehamber exceed five pounds per inch, then would it overcomethe resistance of the spring and close the valve. A reduction of thepressure to or below the desired normal again effects an opening of thevalve, as will be understood.

It is at times desirable to reduce the high pressure from or in theinlet-chamber A to a regulated pressure less than atmospheric pressurein the chamber B and its communicating pipes and to constantly maintainthis low pressure regardless of the quantity or volume used. To suchcases the grips at the opposite ends of the spring are made fast to saidends, so that at will the power of the spring may be changed fromeompressiore power to that of tension, the shouldered screw looselyfastening the upper end of the spring in such a manner that when thethimble or dome is screwed upward or away from the diaphragm thecondition of said spring will be converted from that of compression tothat of tension sufficient to resist or counteract any predetermined orrequired pressure acting on the diaphragm. For example, if it is desiredto reduce the pressure in the outletchamber B to two pounds per squareinch belownormal atmospheric pressure the spring connection 18 will berun back or away from the diaphragm until the spring is under sufficient tension to just resist or counteract a force of two pounds persquare inch on the effective area of the diaphragm. The pressure on theinner side of the diaphragm being now two pounds per square inch lessthan that of the atmosphere acting against the upper or outer surface ofthe diaphragm, whenever for any cause the pressure in outletchamber Band the diaphragm-chamber in communication therewith becomes less thantwo pounds vacuum the full atmospheric pressure acting against the outerside of the diaphragm forces the latter inward, and this movement beingtransmitted through the diaphragm center yoke 25, reversing levers 2828, and stem 9 to the double-seated balanced valve 36 causes the latterto partially or entirely open, and thereby admit a renewed supply ofpressure from the inlet-chamber A to the outlet-chamber B. Rcversely,whenever the pressure in chamber B reaches a point nearer the atmospherethan the required two pounds vacuum it overbalances the atmosphericpressure acting against the opposite side of the diaphragm and inconjunction with spring 20 moves the diaphragm outward, which movementis transmitted, as before described, to valve 36, causing the latter topartially or entirely close, and thereby restrict or entirely out offthe supply of high pressure from the chamber A.

It frequently becomes desirable or necessary to control the operationsof the valve by the steam or fluid pressure from some distant point, asfrom a large reservoir or receiver supplied by a comparatively long andsmall pipe and a small reducing-valve. In such cases, owing to friction,it is often necessary to have a considerably higher pressure immediatelyat the outlet side of the valve in order to supply the large volumerequired in the receiver. For such purposes the closable portopenings 3940 have been provided, whereby in loosening the right and leftspanner-nut 7 and partially rotating the diaphragm-chamber 8 the ports39 40 are thrown outof register, and thereby direct communicationbetween outlet-chamber B and the diaphragm-chamber is cut ofi. In orderto govern the supply of steam-or fluid passing through the valves, itnow becomes necessary to connect the diaphragm-chamber 8 to the distantreceiver by a small separate pipe, which is connected todiaphragm-chamber 8 by removing the threaded plug 45. (Shown in Fig. 1.)

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. In apressure reducing or regulating valve,the combination with a suitablecasin g, of a valve and its valve-stem, and a flexible diaphragmattached to said stem, and a spring gripped at one end to an adjustablefixture and at the opposite end gripped to the said diaphragm andvalve-stem and adapted to be converted from astate of compression to oneof tension, or vice versa, substantially as set forth.

2. In a pressure reducing or regulating valve, the combination with asuitable casing having a flexible diaphragm therein, of a yoke at oneside of said diaphragm and a springbination with the casing, flexiblediaphragm and spring, of a yoke attached to said diaphragm, and at itsopposite ends having a pair of reversing-levers 28, 28, connectedthereto and extending toward one another int-o connection With avalve-stem and fulcrumal bearings interposed between the yoke and stemconnections of said levers whereby downward movement ofthe diaphragm andyoke will efiect an upward movement of the stem and valve, saidfulcrumal bearings extending toward the yoke and serving to limit themovement of the yoke in the direction of the levers, substantially asset forth.

4;. In a pressure reducing and regulating valve, the combination withthe main valvebody having two separate compartments A, B, divided by aweb having parallel parts with opposite communicating valve-ports 3, 3,said body having only three Ways or openings out therefrom one of whichcommunicates with a flexible diaphragm-chamber, formed in a casingattached to said valve-body, a diaphragm arranged in said chamber, aspring outside of said diaphragm and connected at one end to saiddiaphragm, a yoke attached to the inside of said diaphragm and extendingoppositely from the point of attachment to said diaphragm beyond thefulcrumal bearings of the reversing-levers, a pair of saidreversing-levers connected at their outer ends to said yoke, and attheir inner ends to a valve-stem and fulcrumed between saidconnections,the fulcrumal bearings of said levers being disposed nearerto the connections of said lovers with said yoke than to the connec- IIOIIS

tions with the valve-stem,and said valve-stem In testimony that I claimthe foregoing I extending through the opening of communihave hereuntoset my hand this 26th day of cation between the casing and body and be-February, 1901.

ing provided With abalanced valve insertible ARTHUR WV. CASH. throughsaid opening of communication to the opposite seats provided for saidbalanced I valve, substantially as set forth.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, DANIEL BRADLEY.

